Harnessing the Science of Persuasion

Persuasion works by appealing predictably to deeply rooted human needs. The rest of us can learn to secure consensus, cut deals, and win concessions—by artfully applying six scientific principles of winning friends and influencing people. Cialdini draws on decades of research in experimental, especially social psychology to distill â€Å"six fundamental principles of persuasion†. Some of these principles will seem simple and completely obvious at first sight, but looking deeper into them reveals how well they work and why, making the reader more likely to apply already-implicit knowledge.The first principle is that people are more likely to follow or agree with someone who they like because of some similarity with that person, or due to praise received. Second, people are more willing to cooperate with those who like them. This can be difficult to put into practice, but most of us have plenty of room to find more things we genuinely like about those we interact with. Th ird, experiments have confirmed our intuitive views that people tend to treat each other the same way they are treated. Therefore, doing someone a favor before seeking one can be both ethical and effective.Fourth, people are more likely to keep promises they make voluntarily and explicitly. So, get commitments in writing (and preferably publicly). Fifth, people do defer to experts, but do not assume that your expertise is fully known or appreciated. Finally, people want more of something that they believe is scarce, so exclusive information is more persuasive (and valuable) than widely available information. These principles are clearly illustrated by studies and cases, providing the reader with effective tools for strengthening leadership with better persuasion skills.

Poetry of Emily Dickinson

The poetry of Emily Dickinson is studied like the works of William Shakespeare, as timeless and perfect works of art, gracing the canon.   This paper will analyze in detail eight of Dickinson’s poems which have been classified as â€Å"time† poems.   The poems to be discussed are: â€Å" I like to see it lap the Miles – â€Å"; â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death – â€Å"; â€Å"The Heart asks Pleasure- first- â€Å"; â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling come†; â€Å"There’s a certain Slant of light†; I felt a Cleaving in my Mind†; â€Å"The first Day’s Night had come – â€Å"; and â€Å"Pain- expands the Time†.â€Å"I like to see it lap the Miles† is considered a time poem by many Dickinson scholars because it tracks the daily route of a train.   Its speaker, arguably the author, watches a train make its scheduled runs and stops through the mountains.   The train, an unlikely subject for Dickinson, who refers mostly to nature or the natural in her poems, seems to take on characteristics much like a horse.   The words â€Å"lap† and â€Å"lick† are two things a horse does; horses also have a â€Å"prodigious step† and come to rest at their â€Å"stable door†.The four quatrain stanza poem has no noticeable rhyme pattern.   The meter alternates between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter in the first two stanzas.   The third stanza breaks the pattern suddenly with two lines of iambic dimeter and three lines of iambic trimester.   This stanza is also odd in numbered lines.   There are five lines, where the rest of the poem has quatrain stanzas.   The last stanza has yet a different meter, consisting of two iambic trimeters for the first two lines.   The poem ends with two lines of iambic tetrameter.â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death –† is one of Dickinson’s best known and most studied poe ms, and arguably her most famous.   This time poem starts with life and crosses over into death or eternity.   The transition is easy and painless for both the poet and the reader because of the flow of rhythm.   It is seemingly very natural.   It is very melodic and has been acclaimed over and over again by scholars to be the most perfect poem ever written.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Because I could not stop for Death – † is not only a time poem, but a death poem as well.   It deals with the idea of the afterlife, something Emily Dickinson has been rumored to be obsessed with. The speaker is the poet, who speaks as a person crossing from life to death, who is travelling with possibly the Grim Reaper or the angel of death.   Despite the circumstance, her tone is hopeful and casual.There are 6 quatrain stanzas in this poem. It has an easy rhythm pattern throughout.The first stanza has the only rhymed pattern of ABCB; the remaining five stanzas are all ABCD.   The pattern is iambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter, every other line in the first three stanzas.  The fourth stanza switches the meter pattern temporarily to iambic trimeter, tetrameter, tetrameter, trimeter.   This switch is indicitave of a switch in tone in the poem.   The pattern is literally turned inside out.   Every other stanza in this poem has eight and then six syllables, alternating that pattern throughout the poem except for in this fourth stanza.   There are six, eight, eight, six, resembling a palindrome numerically.   This fourth stanza switches from the poet being in control of the action to nature around her reflecting the action, here the sun, passing her by.The last two stanzas continue with the previous pattern of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and trimeter.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Heart asks Pleasure  ­ – first –† is a two stanza poem.   Every line is iambic trimeter except for the fourth line in the first stanza, which is iambi c tetrameter.This time poem is a step by step process, including he words, â€Å"first† and the phrase â€Å"and then† for each step.   The requests of the heart seem to indicate a timeline of pain in a person’s life or the end of a person’s life or a time when a person is in great pain or when the heart is broken or suffering.The narrator of the poem seems to be the actual heart speaking in the third person.   The tone is somber and points to an ending of some kind, a long for release.   There is a build up of intensity as the poem progresses, making the ending more dramatic and final.  The poem â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling comes† traces the time after pain, but not prior to it.   The speaker is omnipotent, looking in from the outside, not connected with the piece.   The tone is quite formal, in agreement with the title.This poem consists of three stanzas of unequal length and meter.   The first and third stanzas have an AABB rhyme pattern. The middle stanza has an odd number of lines (five lines as opposed to the four lines of stanzas one and three), with no rhyme pattern.   The first stanza consists of four lines of iambic pentameter.   The second stanza has varying meters.   Lines one and five are iambic tetrameter; while lines two and four are iambic dimeter and the middle line is iambic trimeter, making an 84648 foot pattern for this stanza, again a palindrome in numbers similar to Dickinson’s previously analyzed poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death- â€Å".     It is in this middle stanza where once again with the differing meter that the most change in tone takes place as well.   Here is where there is a shift from writing about the natural or living to referencing to the non living, or non natural, such as â€Å"mechanical† and â€Å"stone†.   It is also here where Dickinson refers to the elements beyond human control, such as â€Å"Ground† and â€Å"Air†.The last quatrain begins with an odd seven meters, which is an uneven and unusual meter for a poem to have, but Dickinson does use the seven syllable line quite frequently.   Sometimes it is acceptable to have an occasional 7 meter line mixed in with iambic tetrameter, and it is usually taken as such, â€Å"given† an extra syllable per say, but not in this poem.The last two lines are iambic pentameter, in pattern with the first stanza.â€Å"There’s a certain Slant of light† traces a person’s enlightenment the moment it happens.   It is a short journey, there is no recall of a previous spiritual, mental, or physical journey, only the moment of enlightenment.   The narrator could be omnipotent, omniscient or first person, although there is no reference to first person in the poem.   It is however, written as though it was experienced firsthand.  This poem consists of four quatrain stanzas.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This rhyming poem has an ABCB rhyme pattern in all stanzas, which makes it sing-songy, or a hymnal poem in addition to being a time poem. The meter is trochaic.   In the first three stanzas, there are alternating patterns of seven and five syllables respectively.   The last stanza has eight and five syllables alternating.â€Å"I felt a Cleaving in my Mind† is interesting because the poem refers to the brain being split into two, and the actual poem itself is made up of two stanzas of equal length and meter, much as is a brain symmetrical and proportional and in sync when functioning properly.  The time sequence here is one that traces a person’s madness.   The narrator, the author herself, writes of a moment in time where she could not assemble the pieces or remember something, and therefore time was as disjointed as the task.There is an ABCB rhyme pattern in both stanzas.   The meter alternates every other line between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter throughout both stanza s.   The poem has a very pleasing, almost lighthearted rhythm to it, which is in stark contrast to the overall theme or message of the poem.   The tone almost mocks the moment.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The first Day’s Night had come – † traces a journey from a past experience to the beginning of a new moment and carries on to the future, recalling the life changing moment.   The climax is either the onset of madness or a blocking of a memory.   The narrator is the author.   She is present in the poem.The poem consists of five stanzas.   There is one rhyme pattern present in the poem, and that is in the first stanza.   The rhyme pattern is ABCB.   There is no noticeable rhyme pattern in other stanzas.   The meter in this poem is as follows for all five stanzas: two lines of iambic trimeter, one line of iambic tetrameter and one line of iambic trimeter.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Pain – expands the Time† is a short poem of two stanzas.   The time reference in this particular poem deals with something actually influencing time – pain.  There is unequal meter in the third line of each quatrain. The second stanza has a noticeable rhyme pattern of ABCB.

Quantitative An Qualitative Research Methods Essay

Assess the position that in sociological research quantitative research methods are superior to qualitative research methods. Sociologists have a number of different types of research that can be used to acquire data. They can be traced back to Max Weber (1864) regarded as the founder of interpretivism, was opposed to the idea that human behavior is exactly quantifiable. Human behavior is based on the idea that social interaction is surrounded by consciousness action and unpredictability (emotions and feelings). For intrepertivists the social world consists of and is constructed through meanings; for example attending school on a daily basis helps to recreate the structure of education. On the other hand Auguste Comte (1798) is largely regarded as the founding father of positivism; who studied social behavior in ways similar to those used by natural scientists to study behavior in the natural world. Social systems consist of structures that exist independently of individuals. They represent behavior at the intuitional level of society and people experience structures as forces that push persons to behave in ways that shape individual behavior choices. For example the rules of language, structure the way persons socially interact. In social sciences there are two types of research methods’ quantitative and qualitative. They are very popular in the fields of sociology because the need to study society and the people living in and institutions within societies encourage growth and change in both micro and macro systems. The word â€Å"quantitative† express data that is subject to measurements and numbers; it’s basically employ data that is objective generalized and statistical. Durkheim (1895) believes that the analysis of statistical data can indicate both cause and correlation. For example the difference between neighboring states in terms of attitude towards state government, would mostly utilize a quantitative research design which w ould offer comparison and statistics to demonstrate the differences between both states. The general idea of quantitative research is to get information that can be inferred to large populations of people, in this instance it is general favored because they allow for the collection of factual data. On the other hand qualitative research would not serve this type of inquiry well (the example above regarding attitude towards state government). In order to conduct qualitative research with large populations of people is difficult. The idea of qualitative research is to interview or observe a small group of  people to be able to determine what that specific group is experiencing. Therefore the information gathered would not be able to generalize to a large population such as across two states because the sample size would be to small and intimate. However for intrepretivists, â€Å"facts’ about behavior can be established, but these facts are always context-bound; they will not apply to all people at all times, in all situations. They may not even apply to different people in the same situation. Therefore persons should not directly interact with the people they are studying since this might influence their behavior (non-participant observation is acceptable, but participant observation is more problematic). Quantitative research methods are acceptable because they tend to offer higher potential levels of reliability than qualitative research methods, not necessarily superior. On the other hand qualitative research methods have to reflect the fact people consciously and unconsciously construct their own sense of social reality. Conversely; quantitative research methods indicates no personal, state of a person emotions and feelings; unrepresentative samples can sometimes be drown, thus leading to inaccurate and invalid information. Although not compulsory, it is extremely beneficial to use qualitative and quantitative research methods during a research to produce efficient outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will obtain results that are through, logical, and realistic is several ways. There is no particular rule for which research methods to use in sociology. Like sociologists, try to utilize methods that is ideal for research by obtaining effective results. In sociology, different theories will tend to prefer different data collection methods. For example Barker (1984) research of the unification church, or moonies lead Barker to understand the group because of the use of statistical (quantitative) data and in-depth explanation (qualitative). In some instances, a qualitative research method proves to be more appropriate than a quantitative upon the nature of the subject under investigation. For example if the researcher wants to understand a rape victims’ point of view, an unstructed questionnaire would yield more valid results than say a social survey. However feminist theory often makes use of qualitative research methods to better describe intimate and personal accounts of marginalized women in societies. Remember that both quantitative and qualitative analysis have proved useful and within respective fields and individual studies.

A Closer Look to Higher Educational Learning in the United States Essay

A Closer Look to Higher Educational Learning in the United States - Essay Example Higher learning in its truest sense symbolizes the appreciation, interpretation, and understanding of knowledge beyond what is discernible and distinguishable by the human senses. Its forms vary in functions and have different effects in shaping the society we are budging and living right in. Also, besides those stated above, higher education allows the feeding off of utmost desire, imagination, and compassion toward the people’s psyche in order to conquer the realms of ignorance, lack of knowledge and unawareness regarding relevant issues which continuously affect present circumstances. As stated in an article by Peirce (1993) entitled What Does Society Need from Higher Education? educational learning has been considered as a primary resource which mainly supports other institutions, such as the government and the business sector, in various vital ways. Having said these facts, it could be assumed that higher form of learning addresses the necessity of providing a holistic ap proach in order to influence the mindset of the people, especially the working adult populace, and eventually exert efforts for the common good of the majority. But how could these be all possible, given that there are too many problems and conflicts involved in the formation of the correct curriculum so as to implement effective adult learning schemes and practices? If perfected, does finishing a degree program following any of these designed curricula would mean being truly educated in the end?... If perfected, does finishing a degree program following any of these designed curricula would mean being truly educated in the end? Do the universities and colleges which offer various programs and other basic courses really know what their exact functions are? Or, are they missing these functions entirely all these years? In all fairness, I believe that it is very essential to answer and tackle these questions before we could completely discuss and expound the intricate details concerning higher formal education among adult citizens. For they serve as bases of what education and being educated should be about. According to Ritt (2008), a college degree is considered by most people as a prerequisite towards a better living condition in the future. Generally, a college diploma promises and grants the bearer greener pasture, a secured career and an improved quality of existence. That is why, many dream of obtaining one; but, few have the means to get through. Meanwhile, in the same art icle wrote by Ritt (2008), U.S. only ranks tenth among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries when it comes to the percentage of young adults , aging from 25-34, having postsecondary credentials and education --- that is about 34 million people in summary having no college experience. This information is quite alarming in a way, since fast growing technologies and jobs in the market require at least postsecondary certifications. Moreover, it has been considered as apprehensive by most experts, since there have been cases of severe decrease in work productivity and professional discipline around the nation. The facts stated above constitute a big fraction of the pie which shows the meaning and the present situation of educated adult

Unemployment Rates in California Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Unemployment Rates in California - Term Paper Example Looking into the different aspects of this and understanding how it is affecting the economy can then provide different relationships to changing the available opportunities that are within the region. California is an important region to analyze in terms of unemployment rates because of the comparisons of those who don’t have jobs to the rest of the countries. California has the fourth largest amount of unemployment in the nation, with an average of 11.4% of the population not having a steady job. This has increased dramatically from the year 2005, with the average at 4% and now jumping to almost 12%, as seen in the graph below. The highest in the nation is at 13.6% and the lowest unemployment rate carries 4.3%. For California, this shows that dramatic measures need to be taken to change the amount of unemployment in the state. Even though California is ranked at one of the highest percentages from 2009, they have also had one of the largest decreases in unemployment rates with 33,600 individuals who were able to find work within the region. However, it was also noted that the changes in unemployment decreases of 12.4% were specifically related to seasonal adjustments that occur each year. Not only was the increase considered above average, but the unemployment rates in general for California were at a lower average than last year. In August of 2009, there were 13,900,700 individuals in California that were unemployment. In 2010, the rate was 13,827,900, with a difference of 112,800 people that were employed in 2010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). The unemployment that is occurring in California is dependent on different industries and the changes that are occurring within the economy. The unemployment and percentage increase by industry is as follows: The industry is one of the factors that are seen with the amount of unemployment that has taken place in California. There are

Impact Of Financial Crisis On The Capital Structure Decision Making Of Essay

Impact Of Financial Crisis On The Capital Structure Decision Making Of The Firm - Essay Example The underlying discussion has developed the reference from the literature related to the capital structure theories and the brief about the financial crisis of late 2000s. The discussion also addresses the firms’ response to the financial crisis by adjusting mix of the capital structure. Therefore, for clear assessment along with overall global assessment, capital structure adjustments of Tesco and Dell have been discussed in the report. The report also has presented alignment of the responses of the capital structures with theories. FINANCIAL CRISIS Financial crisis have always been the dominant factor for determining trends and practices in the economic scenario. A financial crisis traces the reasoning from the excessive loans such as sub-prime mortgages as well as financial instrument of debt derived from such loans (Mizen 2008). Crisis originated from US in late 2000s spread across Europe and then to world owing to the benefit of diversification that businesses attempted t o gain from spreading risk across local and international markets (Fosberg, 2010). First strong hit from financial crisis and its intensity was revealed in late 2007 upon the Bear Stearns’ declaration about evaporation of the value of major assets held by Bear Stearns’s hedge funds. ... ct of financial crisis then resulted in continuity as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac declared bankruptcy in third quarter beginning of 2008 followed by government takeover. Similar month also witnessed another major shock from financial crisis as Lehman Brothers declared bankrupt and immediately next day another giant AIG ended up receiving $85 billion credit facility from NY Fed to sustain. Efforts to sustain the steep fall of the financial stability of bank and institutions Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was launched (Fosberg, 2010). TARP performance has also been bringing losses to treasury as TARP invested US $25 million in the bank while managed to fetch only US $13.5 million on sale of preferred stock of invested in financial institutions. TARP is also actively making efforts in closing down its program for banks though it still held the share for 199 banks (Sparshott, 2013). Being international firms, all these apart from impact on local financial market had detrimental impa ct on the international financial markets and hence international firms locally. Estimation of the reasons of the financial crisis, other than the core reason of subprime loans backed by subprime mortgages, has been found many. Such as among various factors discussed for fact has been the claim to the performance of respective roles of asymmetric information etc (Miglo, 2010). Further, another core factor along with dominant role of agency problem mounted the issue. Agency problems’ role was initially ignored to be addressed for the level of attention required (Miglo, 2010). In addition to these, role of already stressed factors such as taxes and bankruptcy cost in capital structure theories were receiving less attention in operational practices and hence contributed to the financial

Online research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online research - Essay Example He never admitted to causing the injuries until the infant’s doctor confronted him and told him to take the infant to the hospital. Having spent only a few days in the hospital, the infant was released and her grandparents were given custody of her as well as the rest of her siblings. Day, who had been working as a dispatcher in the communications center of his local police department since 2007, was fired immediately following his arrest. Day is not set to make his first appearance in court until July 29, 2010. Various organizations and businesses that focus on child abuse are involved in the case, such as The Department of Children and Family and the Children’s Advocacy Center. The form of abuse that was involved in this case was physical abuse, or aggravated battery. Child neglect was also part of this case as Day did not immediately seek medical attention after his daughter sustained the injuries brought on by his carelessness and abuse. The injury report that had been filed after the infant spent time in the hospital showed that the fractured femur could be older than the fractured skull, which suggests that the infant could have faced earlier instances of child abuse. This bit of information has caused the case to be ongoing as investigators try to figure out how long the infant has dealt with the abuse of her father, if her siblings have acquired any injuries due to abuse, and if the mother of the children was aware of what was going on. The overall effect of the abuse and neglect on the infant was physical damage, though the damage is not considered to be long-term or life threatening. The infant is also now not living with her biological parents, which is a painful separation for someone as young as she is. As an infant, she requires the bond and nurture of her biological parents, especially her mother. Though the physical damage may not be long lasting, the mental and emotional state of the infant can alter with

Comprehensive care plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comprehensive care plan - Term Paper Example The medical examination conducted on the patient revealed significant degenerative changes in both hip joints, which were observed on the X-ray films. The surgeon recommended a total replacement of the right hip coupled with a total replacement of the left hip to follow in a period of 6 to 12 months. This article contains a comprehensive nursing care for a resident who has osteoarthritis and undergoes joint replacement surgery. The RN completed a nursing history and examination of Mr Powell on admission. The medical records indicate that the patient suffers from mild Parkinson’s disease. Mr Powell is currently taking carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet 25-100) four times a day to control his symptoms. There have been no other reports of chronic medical conditions. The RN reported that the patient been essentially healthy his entire life. Moreover, Mr Powell has no known allergies to medications, has no history of smoking, and consumes small amounts of alcohol. The medical examination conducted by the RN notes that the patient is alert and oriented. Mr Powell’s medical examination reported vital signs at BP 116/64, P 68 regular, R 18, T 97.4Â °F (36.3Â °C) PO. Marginal pulses are strong and equal in the upper extremities and slightly weaker but equivalent in the lower extremities. The patient’s feet are cool to the touch but have an immediate capillary refill. Mr Powell’s shoulders, wr ists and elbows indicated full ROM. On the other hand, the ROM of both hips is significantly restricted. The pain on both sides in prompted by hip flexion beyond 90 degrees. Also, both flexion and extension of the knees are slightly limited. Mr Powell has a shuffling gait and walks with a limp, favouring his right hip. Preoperative laboratory studies and CBC were conducted on the patient. The coagulation studies and urinalysis show a serum creatinine of 1.7 mg/dL and BUN of 30 mg/dL, with no other noted abnormal values. His ECG and chest X-ray indicate

Marketing case study of Ferrero Company Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing of Ferrero Company - Case Study Example To successfully penetrate the market Ferrero maintains a limited unique number of products manufactured and marketed at the highest quality possible. The company also seeks to understand the market properly by carrying out extensive test marketing of its products to avoid embarrassing marketing failures (Australian Trade Commission, 2012). Question One Ferrero Australian opened an online boutique that sells premium chocolate gifts packed in unique keep sake gift boxes. The online boutique was actualized due to consistent demands for Ferrero chocolate gift packs by customers for their chocolate loving friends and family. The gifts are customized, elegantly packed and contain a card for personalized messages (Ferrero Boutique, 2012). Ferrero decision to open an online boutique was a well thought marketing strategy in line with the changing consumer habits in Australia. The internet has become an integral and essential feature of the day-to-day social and business lives of billions of p eople around the globe and the internet economy is growing strong each day (Bughin et al., 2011). Ferrero Australia decision enabled many of its customers to have their desired products with convenience and efficiency as the internet enables customers to save time spent on shopping for gifts. Online stores makes it possible for consumers to make quicker decisions and shop as consumers can find time to perform ten searches online but only two searches offline for each purchase, with internet searches saving more time than physical directories (Chen, Jeon & Kim 2010). This boosts productivity for consumers, suppliers and manufacturers and translates into more profits. Through its online boutique store Ferrero customers in Australia are able to choose their preferred gifts with ease and the website offers price transparency, which is essential in developing customer trust and loyalty. This is because the online boutique service offers customers a reliable and stable source of gifts all year round with more consistency, which is a crucial marketing strategy to maintain customers. Using the internet to sell its products also offers the company the opportunity to advertise its high quality products all over the world. Their website helps to raise product awareness to a much more diverse customer base that spurs its sales volume. Bearing in mind that 90% of online users utilize search engines and internet searches represents 10% of the time spent by individuals on the web (McKinsey & Company for IAB Europe, 2010), it is possible for the Ferrero Company to expressly market its products to customers who are interested in chocolates in the web. This means that the company investment on advertising will pay off and lead to sales growth purely by using internet tools as it is possible to match the needs of customers, individuals, and organizations on the web requiring specific products. With the use of internet based transactions growing, one can confidently say the Ferre ro Australia online boutique store will continue to pull in more revenue for the company as people social lives and businesses continue to be more centered on internet use at home and during work. In addition to supplying its products all over Australia, the

Back Brace Market Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Back Brace Market Study - Research Paper Example In spite of the efforts of cost containment by pricing, Data Analysis, and Coding (PDAC), manufacturers’ efforts are directed at the manufacturing of back braces that would give more reimbursement. Back braces have exhibited a fairly busy market over the past few years. They have been available with an exclusive selection of good quality surgical, healthcare, and medical products. Chiropractors and doctors have been commonly prescribing the patients the use of back braces for back pain ever since it has been introduced into the market. Back have injury is not an uncommon condition and the human and economic costs of experiencing it have increased over the years. This is why, more and more companies are resorting to using measures with or without sound ergonomics programs. One of such measures has been to wear back belts. While the decision to wear it is largely a matter of personal choice, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is of the opinion that employers and workers should not make the decision of wearing it without the best available information (CDC, 2014). Rather than relying on back braces as a â€Å"cure all† equipment for back inju ry, companies should tend to reduce the lifting tasks’ rights through prevention measures. The bracing and supports market in the US is anticipated to have exceeded $2.48 billion by the year 2018 (PR Newswire, 2012). The bracing and supports market in the US comprises bracing and supports for knee, ankle, spinal orthoses, upper extremity soft goods and bracing, and back soft goods. The aging US population, increasing braces’ use for prevention of sporting injuries, and growing osteoarthritis and obesity are some of the prime factors behind the expected moderate growth of these markets. Growth of the spinal orthosis segment is expected to supersede the growth of other markets because of a strong correlation that

Visual Arts - Charlie Chaplin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Arts - Charlie Chaplin - Research Paper Example One of such icon was Charlie Chaplin. He was one of icon that revolutionized this industry in the 20th century until his death. This paper seeks to discuss Charlie Chaplin and his life. The original homeland of Charlie Spencer Chaplin was London. He was born on 16 April 1889. His father was a vocalist and an actor. Additionally, his mother was a beautiful actor and singer; she was famous during this period. Initially his father used to support his family but later he started engaging in drinking spree, and this affected the family for a long time. This was further compounded by his mother ailing health. His father died later due to the effects of over drinking. As a result, Charlie Chaplin and his brother took care of each other during their childhood period. Sydney was the one who took care to his little brother in his lifetime. Their family was ravaged by poverty, and this forced them to spend life in workhouses at their tender age. Whatever they got, they used to support their mot her. Sydney was later sent to training ship known as Exmouth and acted as a steward in shipping expeditions (Milton 8-17). On his return home in 1903, he became ill. Later he found his mother in a mental hospital while his brother had been reduced to a destitute. However, they had inherited talents from their parents and this facilitated heir entry into the stage performance. This made them turn to the theater to change their lives. Charlie entry to stage performance was through the young kids group known as â€Å"The Eight Lancashire Lads† (Burt 71). This stage performance made him popular and a famous tap dancer. Chaplin career extended for a long period. At the age of twelve, he got a chance to act in a legitimate stage show. In the show, he took the role of â€Å"Billy† the pageboy. At the end of this show, he took started acting as a comedian. Eventually, he went to United States in 1910 with the assistance of Fred Karno Reportoire Company. â€Å"A Night in an En glish Music Hall† gave him fame in American audiences (Edna Purviance Web). On return of Fred Karno Troupe to America, he was offered a motion picture contract. In 1913, he agreed to appear before camera upon expiry of his Vaudeville commitments. His success attracted attention of other producers. Upon expiry of his contract, he joined Essanay Company in 1915 (Parish 210-215). Finally, he joined Mutual Film Corporation before he became an independent producer. After gaining independence, he got his own studio located at La Brea Avenue in Hollywood. In 1918, he entered into union with First National Exhibitors due to his pictures. This was a cornerstone for his success in the future. Chaplin had several lovers. Chaplin was married at a young age. His first wife was Midred Harris an actor whom he married in 1918 (Parish 215). Their first child only lasted for three days. However, they later divorced in 1920. He married Lita Grey later. She was involved in various films such as, The Kid, The Gold Rush. She later fell in love with Charlie and became pregnant. They had two children, but later separated in a court case. Lita went on with her life coupled with alcoholism abuse. His third marriage was with Paulette Goddard, which lasted for six years. She acted in Modern Times and The Great Dictator. However, they divorced on common terms. The last marriage was with Oona O’Neill in 1943 (Edna Purviance Web). Though she was much younger than Charlie was, their marriage was for

Diversity in Universities Essay Example for Free

Diversity in Universities Essay The process of getting education involves going through a number of stages. They are the pre-school, primary school, high school and finally the tertiary institutions and the university. Admission into the universities or colleges involves the process in which students who have completed high school join tertiary education at universities and colleges. An educational system differs from one country to another. Some countries have self governing bodies which centralize the administration of standardized exams. Diversity refers to the process of recognizing and appreciating the individuals’ characteristics that make them unique so as to promote the celebration of the individual and collective achievement of those persons. Universities consists of individuals who contribute significantly to the growth of culture of the community through expressing their views on how to improve on the performance of an organization Diversity in universities. As teachers teach in universities, they always need to update their knowledge in their fields of specialization because of changing trends. Diverse systems in universities enable students to know in advance the type and quality of teaching and qualification they will receive. Benefits of diversity When an organization values diversity, it means that it values the local community as well as themselves. Different values are appreciated by the diverse organization . This kind of organization recognizes the fact that people with different backgrounds skills, attitude and experience brings about fresh ideas and perceptions. Diverse organizations encourage and harness various differences that make their services relevant and approachable. They also get a wide range of views exercised so that it can listen to them and meet the changing needs of its user, staff, volunteers and partners. Intellectual Diversity A review is done about the student’s perception of students towards teachers who attempt to discuss politics in course other than political science in classrooms. Academic freedom should be allowed in college campuses for its easier to correct a situation in the classroom. On other hand arguments should be made to be one sided. For education, it is said to be implemented when students are provided with a variety of perspectives and encouraged to think for them. There are some suggestions given to ensure intellectual diversity at the same time protecting academic freedom, for instance establishing new academic programs political bias in student –funded groups. In conclusion, diversity helps us to see situations from different points of view and therefore assists one to accommodate changes when they arise. It is therefore necessary to learn about diversity so as to appreciate the different research agendas and priorities that may arise that may bring change to a community and thus lead to proper decision making processes within their organizations. Reference: Blosser, S. (2005) Universities Flunk In Intellectual Diversity http://72. 14. 205. 104/search? q=cache:N1K4WYFP6EgJ:www. campusreportonline. net/main/articles. php%3Fid%3D706+intellectual+diversity+in+universitieshl=enct=clnkcd=2gl=keclient=firefox-a Website accessed on September 6, 2008

Importance of Human Resource Development (HRD)

Importance of Human Resource Development (HRD) INTRODUCTION It is often debated and generally accepted that human resource development (HRD) activities are important in an organisation. But the question lies within to what extent and how much does it contribute. The reason may lie in the facts that it is not easy to show the direct link between the two activities and that it is both difficult to define HRD precisely and its effect may not be experienced in the short run (Torrington et al., 2005, p.357). The purpose of this paper is highlight on the question on the extent to which HRD contributes to the performance of an organisation. ORGANISATIONS AND HRD Swanson and Arnold (1996) asserted that HRD is a sub-system that operated in the main system; the organisation. In order for the organisation to be successful the objectives and goals of the subsystems must be aligned towards achieving the set goals of the main system. For example, the primary objective of the organisation would be to maximise return on shareholder investment. We may find that the objectives of training and development would be a level removed down, that is to maximise the capabilities of the employees, induce innovation, and produce high quality products and service. They may be different but a closer look at each of these objectives reveals that they serve a singular purpose; maximise the return (Swanson Arnold, 1996, p.15). HRD and Motivation Motivation is certainly the key for the people to keep returning to the job. However it must not be viewed through a single window which shows you that rewards and bonuses makes people motivated. In fact rewards and bonuses and all other financial and intrinsic benefits are classified as hygiene factors. These factors acts as motivators up to a certain level, beyond that they become satisfiers. Extrinsic factors such as the pure feeling of achievement, recognition, job enrichment, job enlargement and training and development are motivating factors. Achievement, job enrichment, job enlargement and training and development are essential elements of HRD and as we can see these elements dominate the motivating factors (Cohen, 2008). Training and development According to Mathis and Jackson (1999), Training is a process whereby people acquire capabilities to aid in the achievement of organisational goals. Simply put training facilitates individuals with the knowledge and skills that are required to perform the present job. It differs from development where, development has a broader impact in providing new skills that is required to perform both present and future jobs (Mathis Jackson, 1999). For example Tesco states that when they have well trained employees on the shop flow it benefits Tescos business image as customers are more confident in the competence and knowledge of staff they deal with. Tesco offers a wide range of training and development opportunities both on the job and off the job to its employees. Tesco takes both organisational objectives and individuals training objectives in account. Tesco believes that efficient and effective training and development programs, helps them to create the flexible and committed employees, delivering the highest standard of service, which is crucially required for their growth and success (TheTimes100, 2009). Organisational Learning CIPD defines learning as an environment where individuals learn to learn and possess the capabilities that enable them to do so to help their employers to build and retain competitive advantage (CIPD, 2008). According to CIPD a firm can achieve competitive advantage when individuals actively seek to acquire the knowledge and skills that promote the organisations objectives. In other words organisations must transform into learning environments, where continuous learning is experienced, thus transforming into a Learning Organisation. Learning organisation thrives for continuous improvement of its capacities in order to make the organisation ready to face the future. For example learning and development process at Corus; a Tata Steel company and Europes second largest steel producer with annual revenues of around  £12 billion, employing around 40,000 people worldwide, is moderated by structuring the learning process within their organisation through setting up a Corus Academy. The Corus Academy was based on sharing best practices and maximizing common approaches. Its main objective focus on Constant Improvement was achieved through the sharing of ideas across the entire company, where both individual and organisational learning occurred simultaneously becoming a learning organisation itself. (TheTimes100, 2009). Other Employee Development Approaches Development is the growth or realization of a persons ability and potential through the provision of learning and training experiences (Armstrong, 2006). Different Organisations adopts different activities in order to enhance their learning capabilities. According to Armstrong (2006), a balanced approach is required, making use of the various forms of learning and development to produce a coherent strategy that contains the plans for creating and maintaining a learning climate and developing and implementing complementary and mutually supportive learning activities both formal and informal. Coaching and Mentoring Coaching and mentoring are informal development activities that organisations practice to facilitate learning. Coaching is an approach based on a close relationship between the individual and one other person, usually their immediate manager, who is much experienced (Torrington et al., 2005, p.394). According to Kram (1983) mentoring benefits from two aspects; the career aspects that primarily enhance career advancement and the psychosocial aspects which enhance a sense of competence (Torrington et al., 2005, p.394). The continuously analysis and constructive criticism and guidance received from the coaches and mentors directly contributed to positive performance. Organisation also benefits, saving a great deal of cost using their own senior experienced staff to develop the junior staff. The Annual CIPD Survey Report 2009 on learning and development practices showed that in-house development programmes and coaching by line managers continue to be rated the most effective learning and development practices in UK (CIPD, 2009). This is perhaps why firms such as Baker Tilly, the seventh largest accountancy practice firm in the UK with a turnover in excess of  £200 million a year and 2,500 staff and its international network being the eighth largest accountancy grouping in the world, strategizes its people development activities to focus on more informal programs such as coaching and mentoring. The firm believes that formal training gives the building blocks for development and learning. However coaching and mentoring and other types of informal development schemes helps people understand for themselves what it is they can do to enhance their ability to meet their objectives all stages, and help them eliminate barriers for performance (CIPD, 2009). Talent management Career Development Talent management is often described as a future-focused activity, encompassing the identification, development, engagement and deployment of talent, with organisations using it to develop their workforce to meet the strategic needs of the organisation (CIPD, 2008). Swanson and Holton (2009) argue that career development theories that describe adult career development are important contributors to HRD practice because they describe adult progression through work roles. Charles Handy stress that employees today must look out for themselves to build their own career. He also notes that education will becomes an investment and varied experience will becomes an asset (Stone, 1998), that will eventually give advantage to employee in the form of employability. Although the traditional view on career development is no longer viable, its integration with talent management creates an opportunity for organisations to develop succession plans. Creating and managing talent and career development processes enables companies to nurture talent for the challenges of the future as well as the present (Eigenhuis Dijk, 2008). For example, when Jack Welch retired in 2001 from General Electric, after having served as the CEO and chair of GE since 1981, he was succeeded by Jeffrey Immelt. Immelt was enlisted for the post as early as 1994 including some 24 candidates to replace Jack Welch. GE identified the next best candidate who would replace Jack Welch on his retirement way ahead. Such capabilities of succession planning are rear unless organisations have competent stars who share the same set of objectives as the organisation. This saves the organisations from going into a cultural and psychological shock, yielding costs that are enormous. Having outs ide top managers to replace comes with disruption all across the board (Eigenhuis Dijk, 2008) creating a turmoil in the management. Net Geners: Learning Gets Social Tapscott in his book Grown Up Digital refers to the generation of individuals born between 1977 and 1997 as Net Gens. Tapscott argument was that whatever that applied to the generation before them in terms of management, training, learning and development would not apply to the Net Gens. For Net Gens technology is like the air we breathe. They are never scarce of information. For them social networking and information sharing sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are both their mentor and coaches asserts Tapscott. He implies that organisations must change their ways of training and development to adopt this wave of informal learning into their mainstream learning programs. Organisations must encourage Net Gens to develop in their own chosen style; perhaps this will be the only way to capture their talent and capacity. These platforms give an enormous advantage with regard to developing the Net Gens and benefiting from their capabilities. Organisations can in other words make work and learn a fun experience for the fun loving Net Gens (Bingham, 2009). Knowledge management Perhaps the most important aspect of HRD is to retain the knowledge invested over the time on individuals. Employment has become more mobile, where individuals change their jobs in pursue of building their career. In other words, as an individual leaves an organisation the knowledge also leaves with him. Finding ways to retain this knowledge in a database or in retrievable form that is accessible by others in the organisation turns information into useful knowledge crucial to improve process and increase profits (Bogardus, 2004). For example Coruss information sharing network is backed up by databases that are shared by firms all over the world. A problem in a firm operating in Canada can get the solution and best practices that was applied for the similar problem in a firm operating in another country. Conclusion The bottom line is that HRD is directly related with improving and enhancing the performance of the employees, which is regarded by many organisations as the only competitive advantage that can be sustained. This competitive edge is achieved by organisations that discover the knowledge, skills and ability of their work force and build them to achieve unique differentiation. Empirical studies on business effectiveness and sustainability from all over the world suggests that, people are the key to the success of the business. For example, a study conducted to find the employee engagement level in pan-European employees showed that the human resource activities as a whole facilitated a 5 percent increase in engagement levels each year. The study also showed that human resource interventions aligned with customer satisfaction correlated by 72 percent and financial performance correlated by 68 percent (Ward, 2008).

Planning And Policies In The Tourism Industry

Planning And Policies In The Tourism Industry In todays rapidly changing business environments it is an essential activity for every destination, to prevent disturbance in tourism. Mill and Morrison, (1998). The author, say that a destination is highly influenced by the wide-range effects of tourism, it is therefore vital to plan for any development. According to J. C. Henderson, (2005), many researchers have approached the issue on tourism planning and policies through different perspectives; the temporal and spatial evolution of destinations the impacts of development, government growth policies, planning imperatives, marketing issues and topics studied. On top of that, the same author makes reference to the various opinions of different authors who make mentioned about the essential factors that would encourage tourism development at a particular destination Critical influences relate to accessibility (Prideaux, 2000), attraction and amenity standards (Gunn, 2004), awareness and positive images (Johns and Mattson, 2005) associated with promotion and marketing (Buhalis, 2000), a supportive government (Weaver and Lawton, 2002) and a peaceful and stable environment (Poirier, 1997). Planning approach tourism planning is defined as a comprehensive, coordinated and continuing processthat promote the common good of society According to (Stifel, 1990), society benefits and welfare should be the main focus of all stakeholders involved in decisions making pertaining to any tourism development. Moreover, tourism planning has been defined as a process based on research and evaluation, which seeks to optimize the potential contribution of the human welfare and environmental quality, (Tosun and Jenkins, 1998). In the above statement, Tosun and Jenkins, agree with Stifle stating that human welfare is indeed to be considered while planning for tourism development and on top of it argued that tourism should not only look into tourists numbers and economic gain, but such development should be environmentally sound. Importance of Tourism linkage However, planning requires the integration of the tourism industry into other sectorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Timothy, (1999). Timothy argues that tourism cannot operate on its own, (as it is environmentally dependant) and rely on other sectors of the economy, such as; agriculture, industry and transportation, to exist. There is the need to create linkage. According to Nikolaos Karangiannis 2003, lack of an overall integrated policy has limited the contribution of tourism growth to the countrys socio-economic development.[15] Therefore the author mentions that the need to formulae policies for economic restructuring and diversification was eminent. The government in Jamaica decides therefore, to create linkage between tourism, commodity production sectors, and complementary and related services in order to rejuvenate the industry, increase economic gain and competitiveness. Tourism Planning and policies Authorities have a vital role and public investment and implementation of pro-tourism policies can help in ensuring that such circumstances do prevail. (Joan C. Henderson, 2006) Government policy is about influencing the way people utilize their resources and the way they relate to each other (within and across state and national boundaries) and their environment. (Clare A.Gunn and Turgut Var, 2002) state that special competencies are required to understand the functioning of tourism and to formulate policies. They added policies, planning and development is at any scale, from national to local and their purpose and reasons differs from one destination to another. (Taylor 1994), government holds the responsibility for research and guideline development, especially in three areas: travel markets, existing and potential; tourism physical plant; linkages between market needs and physical and physical plant development. Further arguments, by Clare (A.Gunn and Turgut Var, 2002), stated that although government intervention is important to control impact of fragmented development on the environment and society, it has also been observed that capitalistic countries which adopt a laissez-Faire tourism policy by private sector, has very little government intervention. The belief that political serenity, not scenic or cultural attractions, constitutes the first and central requirement of tourism (Richter and Waugh, 1986, p. 320) (Ritcher 1994), agrees with Clare A.Gunn and Turgut Var, stating that the purpose for tourism policies differs from one destination to the other as, for example, in some countries tourism has purposely been directed toward increased immigration in hope that visitors will become residentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦stimulating of investment to increase national wealth according to the same authors it is agreed that excessive tourism growth may demand revision of policies; conservation policies pertaining to environment, policies for land use are some examples sustainable policies. Governments of nations, provinces, states and communities have the choice of doing nothing or doing something constructive about public tourism policies. (Lamb and Davison 1996) Furthermore, developing countries are often anxious to plan but unable to governà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦this cannot be done by a macro-or national-level approach(Cevat Tosun, Dallen J. Timothy 2001).With reference to Turkey, as tourist destination, Cevat Tosun, Dallen J. Timothy, confirm Stifels definition of planning, stating that an over-centralization of tourism planning and poor administrative practices and policies formulation have failed to promote common good of the society, because government reticence and negligence to considering regional and local conditions. Finally according to Clare A. Gunn, Turgut Var, 2002, governments have not only the capacity but also the responsibility of creating, implementing and reviewing policies that plan tourism. [6] According to the same authors, tourism planners need to look into three main aspects, namely, economic, socio-cultural and environmental, when planning for tourism projects for particular destinations. Comprehensive planning process and judicious formulation of policies will surmount barriers to tourism planning in each tourist destination area and lead to sustainable development. Conclusion, empirical evidence through the world clearly shows that the model destinations for successful tourism are those that have embraced the tourism-planning concept (Mill and Morisson 1997). Barriers to tourism development Sustainable Tourism if tourism is to be truly beneficial to all concernedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and sustainable in the long-term, it must be ensured that resources are not over-consumed, that natural and human environments are protected, that tourism is integrated with other activities, that it provides real benefits to the local communitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that local people are involved and included in tourism planning and implementation, and that cultures and people are respected. (Eber, 1992). The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be filled while maintaining cultural integrity, essentials ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. Developing indicators for sustainable tourism The most significant attempt so far to develop indicators of sustainable tourism has been undertaken by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) through its Environment Task Force (Dymond, 1997; Manning Dougherty, 1995; Manning et al., 1996). [9] Manning et al. consider that the main purpose of the WTO, in identifying eleven international acceptable sustainable tourism core indicators is to assist planners and decision makers in their tasks. Figure 1 presents core indicators of sustainable tourism (WTO) However, L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002, contested that the above framework has its limitations. It is observed that though, the above indicators represent a wise attempt towards sustainable tourism development, no provision has been made for guiding stakeholders in the implementation of same; that is, converting indicator results into management action. Furthermore Laws et al., state that each destination is unique and thus has to consider the destination local characteristics and its own dynamics that may influence sustainable tourism indicators. Policy makers should understand that there is no generic model for several destinations, but indeed policies have to be tailor made according to destination particulars. Moreover, it is of vital importance to review policy and strategy as a destination evolve with time; current policy may not be adequate for dealing with future problems in the same destination. (Laws et al., 1998:9) [10] According L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002, Samoas Sustainable Tourism Status Report 2000, is a good example an effective planning tool which assisted Saoma Visitors Bureau in developing appropriate action plans and tourism awareness programmes consequently. Figure 2, is an adapted model of Saomas effective planning and monitoring system for sustainable tourism development, which will be used to assessing planning process in Grand Baie. Theoretical framework for sustainable planning Figure 2 planning process, Source: adapted from L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002 Stage 1. Project Design/ Study preparation Stage 7.Review and improve monitoring system Stage 6. Implement action plan and communicate results to Stakeholders Stage 2. Scope issues formulate Goals objectives Stage 5 plan Action formulation Stage 3. Survey / Develop and screen indicators Stage 4. . Analysis and Synthesis Applying L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002, model on research planning in Grand Baie: Stage 1: Design and study preparation; at this stage there is the need to take decisions for planning, that is to be involved in planning process, (residents, NGOs, Government, District council, local business owners, tourism authority, beach authority; private and public sectors). Define roles and responsibilities of each and every one, getting all stakeholders involved in the project in order to write the study project terms of reference and organize the project. Stage 2: Determine goals and objectives; goals and objective of the development programme are decided, but these are subject to changes and modification. For example, developing alternative forms of tourism in Grand Baie, promoting community-based tourism and cultural tourism (social exchange theory) developing environmental protection programmes for the area, educating tourist and residents towards responsible tourism, improving security having a planning framework adapted to Gran Baie needs, hence designing policies that will regulate tourism activities of the region. Stage 3: Survey and core indicators for the region of Grand Baie; undertake surveys and have an inventory of the existing situation. Grand Baie is known for its; safe lagoon, beautiful beaches, people (hospitality), its tropical climate, shopping facilities, restaurants, beach resorts and peripheries rich in culture and traditions. All of these elements should be given great consideration when planning for tourism. Each destination has its unique characteristics and dynamic context. Survey can also be used to study residents reaction pertaining to tourism, in their locality. Moreover can assist planners establish baseline for sustainable development in Brand Baie. Stage 4: Analysis and Synthesis; once baseline information are collected they need to be analised in order to have the basis for the plan. Feedback received from locals and different stakeholders will help to design policies that will ensure smooth implementation of planning. Stage 5: Action plan formulation: formulation and design of plan will be based on preparation and evaluation of alternative policies. Generally planning is conducted at all levels, from individual to comprehensive planning. (Inskeep, 2000), argue that tourism planning applies same concepts and approach of general planning; however, it is adapted to the particular characteristic tourism system. In this context action plan for Grand Baie, is at local level and should be tailor made. Consequently planners will have to possess strong element of predictability and appropriate skills in attempting to envision the future. Stage 67: Implementation and Monitoring: the plan will be implemented in Grand Baie using different techniques. Policies are here as guidelines to implement plans but above all effective communication among stakeholders is vital. The risk of failure is lower when recommendations are addressed to all stakeholders. Environmental policies for sustainable development, e.g. EIA, has been established by the Government, but the extent to which it is been fully observed are debatable when looking at actual situation in Grand Baie. Hence, it is important to monitor progress in implementing the plan and evaluate the success of the plan in meeting its goals and objectives on a regular basis. Plans generally need to be adjusted over time due to changing goals, changing market conditions, and unexpected impacts. Although the monitoring project is still ongoing and its long-term implications for the sustainability of tourism in Samoa are far from clear, several important lessons can be noted from the Samoa example: the importance of formulating clear objectives before trying to identify indicators, the value of establishing a multi-disciplinary advisory panel, and the necessity of designing an effective and flexible implementation framework for converting indicator results into management action. (L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002) [11] According to L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, stakeholders need to consider space and time-specific issues related to tourism development. Local involvement should be from early stages of development that is, planning and decisions making, to implementation. In fact STD needs to be broadening from critical issues currently facing destination. Tourist Area Life Cycle / Application in Grand Baie Mauritius has experienced significant levels of growth in tourism over the last 30 years. As a result, tourism is now the largest economic activity of the island and many coastal resorts have been developed. Although the island has undergone significant changes between the early arrivals of tourists and today, there is a remarkable negligence of research towards these changes. The stages of Butlers Area Life cycle model will thus be reviewed and tested on Grand Baie, to present the life cycle stage of the destination. According to Butler 1980, destinations go through a cycle of evolution similar to the life cycle of a product. The shape of the TALC may vary from one destination to another, however it will depend upon factors such as; rate of development, access, government policy, and market trend. The TALC model is a framework to understand how a destination and its market evolve, through stages of launch, development, maturity and decline. Figure 3: Butlers Destination Lifecycle Model Adapted from (keyser, 2002) According to Butler (1980) destinations pass through a predictable sequence of six stages. These stages are: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation and decline or rejuvenation. In each life cycle stage there are changes in the morphology, the types of tourists visitation, and residents attitudes towards tourism. Exploration stage During the early discovery stage of the cycle a small number of unobtrusive visitors arrive seeking unspoiled destinations. These early explorer tourists generally speak the language and identify with the local culture. The social impact in this stage is generally small and resident attitudes are fairly positive towards tourism. Like most products, destinations have a lifecycle. In his 1980 article, Butler proposed a widely-accepted model of the lifecycle of a tourist destination. The basic idea of Butlers 1980 Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model is that a destination begins as a relatively unknown and visitors initially come in small numbers restricted by lack of access, facilities, and local knowledge. This is the case for Grand Baie which was first known as a fishing village and which economy mainly derived from agriculture (sugar cane). Soon adventurers will get to know about the remoteness and exotic beaches, beryl water and the bay that is deeply sheltered. Visitors and host encounter is high but yet the desire for the destination to remain unchained by tourism prevails. At this stage Grand Baie had limited accessibility to the area and lacked of facilities to cater for more tourists. According to Butler 1980, at the involvement stage, local community has to decide whether they wish to encourage tourism and if so, the type and scale of tourism they prefer. Through word of mouth tourists interest to visit the coastal region increases. The residents of Grand Baie will soon realize the possible potential for economic benefits. The willingness to encourage tourism is shared among locals who will cater for the basic needs of visitors. Much effort is being done to advertise the region and attract more tourists. Such a coastal region as Grand baie will inevitably generates mass tourism, due to its fabulous beaches and local attractiveness. Moreover Grand Baie was cheap destination for visitors due to the foreign exchange currency rate. But unfortunately, the thrill of tourism will make population and stakeholders to neglect some important aspects such as sustainable principles; limits on carrying capacity and elements of predictability. At this stage pressure is placed o n public sector for infrastructure and regulatory bodies. Development stage In the early 80,s Grand Baie will know an increase in tourism growth which will force the destination to the next stage of Development mentioned by Butler in 1980. Grand Baie is well known worldwide and demand for the destination has increased considerably. The fishing village has vanished and is now known to be the Tourist Village. Residents in Grand Baie find themselves limited in terms of knowhow and resources to meet the needs of the visitors. Control shifts from locals to big investors from outside the region and public authority to provide expertise, products and services. Massive investment and development took place and soon Grand Baie became a tourist hub. Tourism impacts are increasing with the emerging tourism activities in the area. Natural areas are cleared away giving place to Hotels namely; the Canonnier, the Royal Palm, the Mauricia and the Verenda. All sorts of beach and sea activities are put forward to give visitors a unique experience. At this stage the changing nature of tourism is altered and the very nature of the resort and quality declined through problems of overused and deterioration of natural and manmade resources. Improper planning for Grand Baie is making development to be detrimental. Contact between tourists and local is high impacting on the lives of those involved in tourism. Locals tend to adjust their way of living to accommodate the changing economic structure. For example, women start working in hotels at odd hours, practice which was long ago seen as taboo. Some of the major influences are the effects of westernization, the eating pattern and gender in the form of employer. The public authority becomes involved through infrastructure provision, road access facilities, improving communication network, educational and leisure facilities. At this critical stage it is highly recommended to undertake analysis on the actual situation, to review action plan and monitoring system to ensure sustainability of tourism in Grand Baie. Actually much effort is placed on implementing policies at a national level, relating to environmental protection in order to comply with international policies, but on the other hand very little is being done in terms of security, destination management at peak seasons, social stability and distribution of wealth. If the day, tourism is undeniable, the nocturnal activity of Grand Baie is full. The nightclubs and bars take over the beaches and natural sites visited in the morning. These popular places with night owls are constantly crowded and joyful atmosphere is palpable at any time until the end of the night, and more specifically, the Banana Cafe, a must in addition to being the biggest club in the Grand Baie Village. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dre_Lee 31 May 2010 Positive Impacts at Development Stage (Grand Baie) The destination grows in popularity Expansion of service and facilities Development of new service and infrastructure Economic growth Employment Better quality of living Negative Impacts at Development Stage (Grand Baie) Decline in local community Natural and built suffers from wear and tear Conflict between local population and tourism Region loose authenticity Loss of Culture, Beliefs, and Values Increase in cost of living Degradation of the Environment Exceeding carrying capacity Prostitution Increase in crime rate Consolidation Stage At Consolidation stage, also known as critical range of elements capacity, tourist number will continue to rise in Grand Baie and the destination becomes dependent on tourism. More promotional and advertising efforts are undertaken in many different ways to maintain existing market and attract new ones. Lots of money is being injected in research and development. There is more pressure on the environment, where tourist number may exceed destination population. The manner resources have been managed in the early stage of the Tourism Area Life Cycle will determine the degree of impact and future of the destination. The tourist-relationship is converted into one of business as the novelty of new visitor arrivals declines. The more culturally sensitive explorers move on to new unspoiled areas and are replaced by the mass market. The local authorities and all stakeholders should, through sustainable tourism planning, consider and anticipate actions in order to mitigate tourism impacts. Stagnation Stage Stagnation is the stage where carrying capacity of many relevant factors is reached. Social, economic and environmental problem arise. Social instability that may lead to riots for instance, local people feeling like strangers in their home community, they realize that they have lost their culture, values and norms and that crime rate has increase to such a point that one does not feel secured anymore. Cost of living being too high makes it practically impossible to have a decent life. Those who are rich become even richer while the poor people become poorer. Land becomes scarce and a rise in demand make for land makes a rise in price. Failing to develop further development due to lack of space (land) for these new tourism developments and products, unemployment rate increases. Local people perception changes and local people no longer show interest in tourism sector and indeed think how to spoil new proposed projects. Decline and/or Rejuvenation stage Decline, the area of Grand Baie will not be able to compete with newer attractions, faces a declining market. Falling profits lead to foreign-owned businesses withdrawing and the community is left to pick up the pieces. Unless resources have been effectively managed in the early stage of the Tourism Area Life Cycle then only Rejuvenation is possible. It is important to deal effectively with demand and supply. Professional should work in close collaboration with local community and keep in mind that the development plan should be developed and implemented at same pace to the progress of the community. The supportive attitude of the locals is the bottom line for the success of tourism development. If issues are not resolved this results in a severe drop in tourist number. That is why stakeholders need to increase marketing and promotional efforts. New market strategies develop in line with the re-structure of the tourism industry. It is also important to educate the local community and create awareness of the tourism activity. Training and development empowers the local people to better serve the industry and benefit from the advantages generated by the tourism sector. Corporate Social Responsibility is a very good attempt to mitigate negative social economic impacts. Residents are more willing to become stakeholder of tourism development when such development is a positive force for environmental conservation and for social/cultural enhancement. Moreover, Environmental Impacts Assessment has to be conducted prior to each development plan for sustainable development. Conclusion Tourism is becoming, more than ever, sensitive to and dependent on a high-quality sustainable environment (Eccles 1995; Ing 1995; Nelson, Butler, and Wells 1993). The authors mean that development plan should seek to optimize the potential contribution of the human welfare and environmental quality. Planning should be in respect to the environment for the industry to sustain and keep market competitiveness. Basically approaches to sustainable destination development should look into; formulating development policy and strategies on uniqueness of natural and cultural attraction for the destination, considering physical, biological and psychological carrying capacity, developing alternative forms of tourism that will create linkage with other economic sectors, reviewing national, regional local framework policy and strategy as a destination evolve with time, planners to be concern with all stakeholders in the community, hence, developing a product that sits in harmony with local enviro nment. According to ((L.Twining-Ward R. Butler, 2002) Saoma has known a successful and revitalized torism industry due to its effective planning and monitoring system, framework for sustainable tourism development. According to Butler 1980, destinations go through a cycle of evolution similar to the life cycle of a product, that is, all destinations is bound to reach some point of stagnation and decline where signs of negative impacts become apparent. Destination will rejuvenate only if sustainable management practices have been considered at early stage of development. Harrison, in his research, notes that Swaziland (in the context of life cycle), underwent rapid growth in the British colonial period but has since decline rapidly due to bad planning. Planners and decision-makers should possess predictable skills to anticipate problems before they happen and take preventive actions rather than curative ones. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development (1989), sustainable tourism is defined as development that meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. However, (Salah S. Hassan 2000) added that using the bes t planning and development effort, a destination cannot grow or revitalize unless it can provide a high level of health care, safety and security for tourists. Finally, development is ongoing and further research is required to monitor the evolution of any tourist destination and evaluate underlying policies. Some obstacles remain and new ones may be confronted so that the future is not without formidable challenges. For destinations to sustain their competitive advantage

French Nuclear Testing :: essays research papers

In June, French President Jacques Chirac revealed that nuclear tests would be conducted in the Pacific at the Mururoa coral atoll. These tests, Chirac, stated, would consist of eight nuclear explosions in a tunnel 1,800 to 3,000 feet below Mururoa beginning in September up until May 96. Chirac declares that these tests are necessary for computer simulation in the future. France has been bombarded with criticism, not only from environmental activists, but also from political standpoints. Japan and Australia officially protested French experiments and have convinced other Asian and Pacific nations to agree. New Zealand and Chile have recalled their ambassadors from France and the Japanese are presently protesting outside of their French embassy. 56% of the citizens in France polled oppose the tests and 60% want Chirac to reconsider his position. Stung by the criticism, France may cancel one out of the eight scheduled nuclear tests. Even the renowned Jacques Cousteau has publicly asked Chirac to rescind the tests. Cousteau has even resigned from the government agency Council for the Rights of Future Generations, in protest. France, along with the United States and Great Britain, has not signed a treaty completely prohibiting the detonation of any nuclear device in the South Pacific. Many of the protesting nations located in the Pacific have signed and support this treaty . Also, France has not followed the initiative of most of the nations of the developed world in signing a 1971 treaty prohibiting "the emplacement of nuclear weapons ... on the ocean floor and in the subsoil thereof." Besides public and international disapproval, France may suffer other side effects because of the nuclear testing. The explosive power of the blast is just less than 20 kilotons (20,000 tons of TNT). The bomb on Hiroshima was 15 kilotons. New Japanese research shows that bomb radiation increases risk of long term cancer. Radiation causes ionization in the molecules of living cells. The ions formed can react with the atoms in the cell causing damage. Cells that are changed permanently may produce abnormal cells when they divide, perhaps become cancerous. Not only are there health risks, but the French economy just lost a contract to build 40 jets and French goods are being boycotted by a number of nations. Environmental agencies warn of the damage to the life and rock around the blast atoll. Defense Minister Charles Milton said, "Nuclear Tests should not be mixed up with the question of arms and industry contracts. French Nuclear Testing :: essays research papers In June, French President Jacques Chirac revealed that nuclear tests would be conducted in the Pacific at the Mururoa coral atoll. These tests, Chirac, stated, would consist of eight nuclear explosions in a tunnel 1,800 to 3,000 feet below Mururoa beginning in September up until May 96. Chirac declares that these tests are necessary for computer simulation in the future. France has been bombarded with criticism, not only from environmental activists, but also from political standpoints. Japan and Australia officially protested French experiments and have convinced other Asian and Pacific nations to agree. New Zealand and Chile have recalled their ambassadors from France and the Japanese are presently protesting outside of their French embassy. 56% of the citizens in France polled oppose the tests and 60% want Chirac to reconsider his position. Stung by the criticism, France may cancel one out of the eight scheduled nuclear tests. Even the renowned Jacques Cousteau has publicly asked Chirac to rescind the tests. Cousteau has even resigned from the government agency Council for the Rights of Future Generations, in protest. France, along with the United States and Great Britain, has not signed a treaty completely prohibiting the detonation of any nuclear device in the South Pacific. Many of the protesting nations located in the Pacific have signed and support this treaty . Also, France has not followed the initiative of most of the nations of the developed world in signing a 1971 treaty prohibiting "the emplacement of nuclear weapons ... on the ocean floor and in the subsoil thereof." Besides public and international disapproval, France may suffer other side effects because of the nuclear testing. The explosive power of the blast is just less than 20 kilotons (20,000 tons of TNT). The bomb on Hiroshima was 15 kilotons. New Japanese research shows that bomb radiation increases risk of long term cancer. Radiation causes ionization in the molecules of living cells. The ions formed can react with the atoms in the cell causing damage. Cells that are changed permanently may produce abnormal cells when they divide, perhaps become cancerous. Not only are there health risks, but the French economy just lost a contract to build 40 jets and French goods are being boycotted by a number of nations. Environmental agencies warn of the damage to the life and rock around the blast atoll. Defense Minister Charles Milton said, "Nuclear Tests should not be mixed up with the question of arms and industry contracts.

Martial Arts Essay -- essays research papers

Martial Arts When you think of martial arts, what comes to mind? The slow, calm movements of Tai-Chi Chuan or maybe the faster, hard movements of Karate or Tae Kwon Do. No matter what you think of it always contains practiced movements of the body and a lot of concentration. These two elements combined with spirit and patience is basically what martial arts consists of. Martial arts is so great because it strengthens each of these aspects of body and mind to make a beautiful display of movement. This has attracted many people to all kinds of martial arts and with the help of the movies made it very popular among Americans. Today, many Americans prefer martial arts as an exercise to help them stay in shape. Tai-Chi, as an example, is a great martial art because of its use of both the body and mind. Tai-Chi can’t be done correctly if the person is not relaxed and doesn’t know the movements being done very well. The basis of Tai-Chi Chuan derives from the idea of being constantly round when performing it. If you are attacked on a straight line and you resist on a straight line, the stronger force will win, but if the incoming force is neutralized by circularity, then it becomes easier to defeat your opponent, no matter how strong they might be. That’s what Tai-Chi is based on, but It takes years of practice to get any good at it and decades to master. Another example of martial arts is Korea’s Tae Kwon Do. The main differences between Tai-Chi and Tae Kwon Do is the uni...

Shadow Kiss Chapter 9

Nine WITH SO MANY MOROI tracing their roots back to Eastern Europe, Orthodox Christianity was the dominant religion on campus. Other religions were represented too, and I'd say all in all, only about half of the student body attended any sort of services regularly. Lissa was one such student. She went to church every Sunday because she believed. Christian also attended. He did it because she went and because it made him look good and seem less likely to become Strigoi. Since Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground, regular church service provided a small front of respectability for him. When I wasn't sleeping in, I showed up at church for the social aspect. Lissa and my friends usually hung out and did something fun afterward, so church made for a good meeting spot. If God minded me using his chapel as a way to further my social life, He hadn't let me know. Either that, or He was biding his time before punishing me. When the service ended that Sunday, however, I had to stick around the chapel, because that was where my community service was going to happen. When the place had cleared out, I was surprised to see one other person had lingered with me: Dimitri. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked. â€Å"Thought you might need some help. I hear the priest wants to do a lot of housecleaning.† â€Å"Yeah, but you're not the one being punished here. And this is your day off too. We – well, everyone else – spent the whole week battling it out, but you guys were the ones picking the fights the whole time.† In fact, I noticed now that Dimitri had a couple bruises too – though not nearly as many as Stan had. It had been a long week for everyone, and it was only the first of six. â€Å"What else would I do today?† â€Å"I could think of a hundred other things,† I noted dryly. â€Å"There's probably a John Wayne movie on somewhere that you haven't seen.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, there isn't. I've seen them all. Look – the priest is waiting for us.† I turned around. Sure enough. Father Andrew stood at the front, watching us expectantly. He'd taken off the rich robes he'd worn during service and now stood in simple slacks and a button down shirt. He looked like he was ready to work too, and I wondered whatever happened to Sunday being a day of rest. As Dimitri and I approached to get our assignments, I pondered what could have actually made Dimitri stay here in the first place. Surely he hadn't really wanted to work on his day off. I wasn't used to puzzles with him. His intentions were usually straightforward, and I had to assume there was a simple explanation now. It just wasn't clear yet. â€Å"Thank you both for volunteering to help me.† Father Andrew smiled at us. I tried not to scoff at the â€Å"volunteering† reference. He was a Moroi in his late forties, with thinning gray hair. Even without much faith in religion, I still liked and respected him. â€Å"We aren't doing anything particularly complex today,† he continued. â€Å"It's a bit boring, really. We'll have to do the regular cleaning, of course, and then I'd like to sort the boxes of old supplies I have sitting up in the attic.† â€Å"We're happy to do whatever you need,† Dimitri said solemnly. I repressed a sigh and tried not to think of all the other things I could be doing. We set to it. I was put on mop duty, and Dimitri took over dusting and polishing the wooden pews. He appeared thoughtful and intent as he cleaned, looking like he actually took pride in his work. I was still trying to figure out why he was here at all. Don't get me wrong; I was happy to have him. His presence made me feel better, and of course I always loved watching him. I thought maybe he was there to get more information out of me about what had happened that day with Stan, Christian, and Brandon. Or maybe he wanted to chastise me about the other day with Stan, where I'd been accused of jumping into battle for selfish reasons. These seemed like likely explanations, yet he never said a word. Even when the priest stepped out of the sanctuary to go to his office, Dimitri continued working quietly. I would have figured if he'd had anything to say, he would have done it then. When we finished the cleaning, Father Andrew had us haul box after box of stuff down from the attic and into a storeroom at the back of the chapel. Lissa and Christian frequently used that attic as a secret getaway, and I wondered if having it cleaner would be a pro or a con for their romantic interludes. Maybe they would abandon it, and I could start getting some sleep. With all of the stuff downstairs, the three of us settled on the floor and began sorting it all out. Father Andrew gave us instructions on what to save and what to throw out, and it was a relief to be off my feet for a change this week. He made small talk as we worked, asking me about classes and other things. It wasn't so bad. And as we worked, a thought came to me. I'd done a good job convincing myself that Mason had been a delusion brought on by lack of sleep, but getting assurance from an authority figure that ghosts weren't real would go a long way toward making me feel better. â€Å"Hey,† I said to Father Andrew. â€Å"Do you believe in ghosts? I mean, is there any mention of them in – † I gestured around us. † – in this stuff?† The question clearly surprised him, but he didn't appear to take offense at me calling his vocation and life's work â€Å"this stuff.† Or at the fact that I was obviously ignorant about it all, despite seventeen years of sitting through services. A bemused expression crossed his face, and he paused in his work. â€Å"Well †¦ it depends on how you define ‘ghost,' I suppose.† I tapped a theology book with my finger. â€Å"The whole point of this is that when you die, you go to heaven or hell. That makes ghosts just stories, right? They're not in the Bible or anything.† â€Å"Again,† he said, â€Å"it depends on your definition. Our faith has always held that after death, the spirit separates from the body and may indeed linger in this world.† â€Å"What?† A dusty bowl I was holding dropped out of my hand. Fortunately, it was wood and didn't break. I quickly retrieved it. That was not the answer I'd been expecting. â€Å"For how long? Forever?† â€Å"No, no, of course not. That flies in the face of the resurrection and salvation, which form the cornerstone of our beliefs. But it's believed the soul can stay on earth for three to forty days after death. It eventually receives a ‘temporary' judgment that sends it on from this world to heaven or hell – although no one will truly experience either until the actual Judgment Day, when the soul and body are reunited to live out eternity as one.† The salvation stuff was lost on me. The â€Å"three to forty days† was what caught my attention. I completely forgot about my sorting. â€Å"Yeah, but is it true or not? Are spirits really walking the earth for forty days after death?† â€Å"Ah, Rose. Those who have to ask if faith is true are opening up a discussion they may not be ready for.† I had a feeling he was right. I sighed and turned back to the box in front of me. â€Å"But,† he said kindly, â€Å"if it helps you, some of these ideas parallel folk beliefs from Eastern Europe about ghosts that existed before the spread of Christianity. Those traditions have long upheld the idea of spirits staying around for a short time after death – particularly if the person in question died young or violently.† I froze. Whatever progress I'd made in convincing myself Mason had been brought on by stress instantly vanished. Young or violently. â€Å"Why?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Why would they stay? Is it†¦ is it for revenge?† â€Å"I'm sure there are some who believe that, just as some believe it's because the soul has trouble finding peace after something so unsettling.† â€Å"What do you believe?† I asked. He smiled. â€Å"I believe the soul separates from the body, just as our fathers teach us, but I doubt the soul's time on earth is anything the living can perceive. It's not like in the movies, with ghosts haunting buildings or coming to visit those they knew. I envision these spirits as more of an energy existing around us, something beyond our perception as they wait to move on and find peace. Ultimately, what matters is what happens beyond this earth when we attain the eternal life our savior bought for us with his great sacrifice. That's what's important.† I wondered if Father Andrew would be so quick to say that if he'd seen what I'd seen. Young or violently. Both had applied to Mason, and he had died less than forty days ago. That sad, sad face came back to me, and I wondered what it had meant. Revenge? Or could he truly not find peace? And how did Father Andrew's theology about heaven and hell fit with someone like me, who had died and come back to life? Victor Dashkov had said I'd gone to the world of the dead and returned when Lissa had healed me. What world of the dead? Was that heaven or hell? Or was it another way of referring to this in-between state on earth that Father Andrew was talking about? I didn't say anything after that, because the idea of a revenge-seeking Mason was so startling. Father Andrew sensed the change in me, but he obviously didn't know what had brought it about. He tried to coax me out. â€Å"I just got some new books in from a friend in another parish. Interesting stories about St. Vladimir.† He tilted his head. â€Å"Are you still interested in him? And Anna?† Theoretically, I was. Until we'd met Adrian, we'd only known of two other spirit users. One was our former teacher, Ms. Karp, who'd gone completely nuts from spirit and become a Strigoi to stop the madness. The other person was St. Vladimir, the school's namesake. He'd lived centuries ago and had brought his guardian, Anna, back from the dead, just as Lissa had me. It had made Anna shadow-kissed and created a bond between them too. Normally, Lissa and I tried to get our hands on everything we could about Anna and Vlad, in order to learn more about ourselves. But, as incredible as it was for me to admit, I had bigger problems right now than the ever-present and ever-puzzling psychic link between Lissa and me. It had just been trumped by a ghost who could possibly be pissed off over my role in his untimely death. â€Å"Yeah,† I said evasively, not making eye contact. â€Å"I'm interested†¦but I don't think I can get to it anytime soon. I'm kind of busy with all this†¦you know, field experience stuff.† I fell silent again. He took the hint and let me work on without further interruption. Dimitri never said a word throughout any of this. When we finally finished sorting, Father Andrew told us we had one more task before our work was done. He pointed to some boxes that we'd organized and repacked. â€Å"I need you to carry these over to the elementary campus,† he said. â€Å"Leave them off at the Moroi dorm there. Ms. Davis has been teaching Sunday school for some of the kindergartners and might be able to use those.† It would take at least two trips between Dimitri and me, and the elementary campus was a fair distance away. Still, that put me one step closer to freedom. â€Å"Why are you interested in ghosts?† Dimitri asked me on our first trip. â€Å"Just making conversation,† I said. â€Å"I can't see your face right now, but I have a feeling you're lying again.† â€Å"Jeez, everyone thinks the worst of me lately. Stan accused me of glory-seeking.† â€Å"I heard about that,† said Dimitri, as we rounded a corner. The buildings of the elementary campus loomed up in front of us. â€Å"That might have been a little unfair of him.† â€Å"A little, huh?† Hearing him admit that thrilled me, but it didn't change my anger against Stan. That dark, grouchy feeling that had plagued me lately sprang to life. â€Å"Well, thanks, but I'm starting to lose faith in this field experience. Sometimes in the whole Academy.† â€Å"You don't mean that.† â€Å"I don't know. The school just seems so caught up in rules and policies that don't have anything to do with real life. I saw what was out there, comrade. I went right to the monster's lair. In some ways †¦ I don't know if this really prepares us.† I expected him to argue, but to my surprise he said, â€Å"Sometimes I agree.† I nearly stumbled as we stepped inside one of the two Moroi dorms on the elementary campus. The lobby looked a lot like the ones on the secondary campus. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"Really,† he said, a small smile on his face. â€Å"I mean, I don't agree that novices should be put out in the world when they're ten or anything, but sometimes I've thought the field experience should actually be in the field. I probably learned more in my first year as a guardian than I did in all my years of training. Well†¦ maybe not all. But it's a different situation, absolutely.† We exchanged looks, pleased over our agreement. Something warm fluttered up in me, putting the lid on my earlier anger. Dimitri understood my frustration with the system, but then, Dimitri understood me. He glanced around, but there was no one at the desk. A few students in their early teens were working or talking in the lobby. â€Å"Oh,† I said, shifting the weight of the box I held. â€Å"We're in the middle school dorm. The younger kids are next door.† â€Å"Yes, but Ms. Davis lives in this building. Let me try to find her and see where she wants these.† He set his box down carefully. â€Å"I'll be right back.† I watched him go and set my own box down. Leaning against a wall, I glanced around and nearly jumped when I saw a Moroi girl only a couple feet away. She'd been standing so perfectly still, I hadn't noticed her. She looked like she could be mid-teens – thirteen or fourteen – but she was tall, much taller than me. The slimness of her Moroi build made her look even taller. Her hair was a cloud of brown curls, and she had freckles – rare among the normally pale Moroi – across her face. Her eyes widened when she saw me looking at her. â€Å"Oh. My. God. You're Rose Hathaway, aren't you?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said with surprise. â€Å"Do you know me?† â€Å"Everyone knows you. I mean, everyone heard about you. You're the one who ran away. And then you came back and killed those Strigoi. That is so cool. Did you get molnija marks?† Her words came out in one long string. She hardly took a breath. â€Å"Yeah. I have two.† Thinking about the tiny tattoos on the back of my neck made my skin itch. Her pale green eyes – if possible – grew wider. â€Å"Oh my God. Wow.† I usually grew irate when people made a big deal about the molnija marks. After all, the circumstances had not been cool. But this girl was young, and there was something appealing about her. â€Å"What's your name?† I asked. â€Å"Jillian – Jill. I mean, just Jill. Not both. Jillian's my full name. Jill's what everyone calls me.† â€Å"Right,† I said, hiding a smile. â€Å"I figured it out.† â€Å"I heard Moroi used magic on that trip to fight. Is that true? I would love to do that. I wish someone would teach me. I use air. Do you think I could fight Strigoi with that? Everyone says I'm crazy.† For centuries, Moroi using magic to fight had been viewed as a sin. Everyone believed it should be used peacefully. Recently, some had started to question that, particularly after Christian had proved useful in the Spokane escape. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"You should talk to Christian Ozera.† She gaped. â€Å"Would he talk to me?† â€Å"If you bring up fighting the establishment, yeah, he'll talk to you.† â€Å"Okay, cool. Was that Guardian Belikov?† she asked, switching subjects abruptly. â€Å"Yeah.† I swore I thought she might faint then and there. â€Å"Really? He's even cuter than I heard. He's your teacher, right? Like, your own personal teacher?† â€Å"Yeah.† I wondered where he was. Talking to Jill was exhausting. â€Å"Wow. You know, you guys don't even act like teacher and student. You seem like friends. Do you hang out when you're not training?† â€Å"Er, well, kind of. Sometimes.† I remembered my earlier thoughts, about how I was one of the few people Dimitri was social with outside of his guardian duties. â€Å"I knew it! I can't even imagine that – I'd be freaking out all the time around him. I'd never get anything done, but you're so cool about it all, kind of like, ‘Yeah, I'm with this totally hot guy, but whatever, it doesn't matter.'† I laughed in spite of myself. â€Å"I think you're giving me more credit than I deserve.† â€Å"No way. And I don't believe any of those stories, you know.† â€Å"Um, stories?† â€Å"Yeah, about you beating up Christian Ozera.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. Now rumors of my humiliation were trickling down to the lower campus. If I walked over to the elementary dorms, some six-year-old would probably tell me she'd heard that I killed Christian. Jill's expression turned momentarily uncertain. â€Å"But I didn't know about the other story.† â€Å"What other story?† â€Å"About how you and Adrian Ivashkov are – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. â€Å"Whatever you heard, it's not true.† â€Å"But it was really romantic.† â€Å"Then it's definitely not true.† Her face fell, and then she perked back up a few seconds later. â€Å"Hey, can you teach me to punch someone?† â€Å"Wai – What? Why would you want to know that?† â€Å"Well, I figure if I'm going to fight with magic someday, I should learn to fight the regular way too.† â€Å"I'm probably not the right person to ask,† I told her. â€Å"Maybe you should, um, ask your P.E. teacher.† â€Å"I did!† Her face looked distraught. â€Å"And he said no.† I couldn't help but laugh. â€Å"I was joking about asking him.† â€Å"Come on, it could help me fight a Strigoi someday.† My laughter dried up. â€Å"No, it really wouldn't.† She bit her lip, still desperate to convince me. â€Å"Well, it would at least help against that psycho.† â€Å"What? What psycho?† â€Å"People keep getting beat up around here. Last week it was Dane Zeklos, and just the other day it was Brett.† â€Å"Dane †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I ran through my knowledge of Moroi genealogy. There were a gazillion Zeklos students around. â€Å"That's Jesse's younger brother, yeah?† Jill nodded. â€Å"Yup. One of our teachers was so mad, too, but Dane wouldn't say a word. Neither would Brett.† â€Å"Brett who?† â€Å"Ozera.† I did a double take. â€Å"Ozera?† I had the impression she was really excited to tell me things I didn't know. â€Å"He's my friend Aimee's boyfriend. He was all bruised up yesterday – had some weird things that looked like welts, too. Maybe burns? But he wasn't as bad as Dane. And when Mrs. Callahan asked him about it, Brett convinced her it was nothing, and she let it go, which was weird. He was also in a really good mood – which was also weird, since you'd kind of think getting beat up would bring you down.† Somewhere in the back of my mind, her words tickled a memory. There was some connection I should be making, but I couldn't quite grasp it. Between Victor, ghosts, and the field experiences, it was honestly a wonder I could string words together anymore. â€Å"So can you teach me so that I won't get beat up?† Jill asked, clearly hoping she'd convinced me. She balled her fist up. â€Å"I just do this, right? Thumb across the fingers and swing?† â€Å"Uh, well, it's a little more complicated than that. You need to stand a certain way, or you'll hurt yourself more than the other person. There are a lot of things you need to do with your elbows and hips.† â€Å"Show me, please?† she begged. â€Å"I bet you're really good.† I was really good, but corrupting minors was one offense I didn't yet have on my record, and I preferred to keep it that way. Fortunately, Dimitri came back just then with Ms. Davis. â€Å"Hey,† I told him. â€Å"I have someone who wants to meet you. Dimitri, this is Jill. Jill, Dimitri.† He looked surprised, but he smiled and shook her hand. She turned bright red and became speechless for a change. As soon as he released her hand, she stammered out a goodbye and ran off. We finished up with Ms. Davis and headed back toward the chapel for our second load. â€Å"Jill knew who I was,† I told Dimitri as we walked. â€Å"She had kind of a hero-worship thing going on.† â€Å"Does that surprise you?† he asked. â€Å"That younger students would look up to you?† â€Å"I don't know. I just never thought about it. I don't think I'm that good of a role model.† â€Å"I disagree. You're outgoing, dedicated, and excel at everything you do. You've earned more respect than you think.† I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"And yet not enough to go to Victor's trial, apparently.† â€Å"Not this again.† â€Å"Yes, this again! Why don't you get how major this is? Victor's a huge threat.† â€Å"I know he is.† â€Å"And if he gets loose, he'll just start in on his crazy plans again.† â€Å"It's really unlikely he will get loose, you know. Most of those rumors about the queen letting him off are just that – rumors. You of all people should know not to believe everything you hear.† I stared stonily ahead, refusing to acknowledge his point. â€Å"You should still let us go. Or† – I took a deep breath – â€Å"you should at least let Lissa go.† It was harder for me to say those words than it should have been, but it was something I'd been thinking about. I didn't think I was a glory seeker like Stan had said, but there was a part of me that always wanted to be the one in the middle of a fight. I wanted to rush forward, doing what was right and helping others. Likewise, I wanted to be there at Victor's trial. I wanted to look him in the eye and make sure he was punished. But as time went on, it seemed less likely that that would happen. They really weren't going to let us go. Maybe, though, maybe they'd let one of us go, and if it should be anyone, it should be Lissa. She'd been the target of Victor's plan, and though her going alone stirred up that nervous idea about how maybe she didn't need me to guard her, I'd still rather take the chance and see him put away. Dimitri, understanding my need to rush in and take action, seemed surprised by my unusual behavior. â€Å"You're right – she should be there, but again, it's nothing I can do anything about. You keep thinking I can control this, but I can't.† â€Å"But did you do everything you could?† I thought back to Adrian's words in the dream, about how Dimitri could have done more. â€Å"You have a lot of influence. There must be something. Anything.† â€Å"Not as much influence as you think. I've got a high position here at the Academy, but in the rest of the guardian world, I'm still pretty young. And yes, I did actually speak up for you.† â€Å"Maybe you should have spoken up louder.† I could sense him shutting down. He'd discuss most things reasonably but wouldn't encourage me when I was just being a bitch. So, I tried to be more reasonable. â€Å"Victor knows about us,† I said. â€Å"He could say something.† â€Å"Victor has bigger things to worry about with this trial than us.† â€Å"Yeah, but you know him. He doesn't exactly act like a normal person would. If he feels like he's lost all hope of getting off, he might decide to bust us just for the sake of revenge.† I'd never been able to confess my relationship with Dimitri to Lissa, yet our worst enemy knew about it. It was weirder even than Adrian knowing. Victor had figured it out by watching us and gathering data. I guess when you're a scheming villain, you get good at that stuff. He'd never made the knowledge public, though. Instead, he'd used it against us with the lust charm he'd made from earth magic. A charm like that wouldn't work if there wasn't already attraction in place. The charm just cranked things up. Dimitri and I had been all over each other and had been only a heartbeat away from having sex. It had been a pretty smart way for Victor to distract us without using violence. If anyone had tried to attack us, we could have put up a good fight. But turn us loose on each other? We had trouble fighting that. Dimitri was silent for several moments. I knew he knew I had a point. â€Å"Then we'll have to deal with that as best we can,† he said at last. â€Å"But if Victor's going to tell, he's going to do it whether or not you testify.† I refused to say anything else until we got to the church. When we did, Father Andrew told us that after going over some more things, he'd decided he really only needed one more box brought over to Ms. Davis. â€Å"I'll do it,† I told Dimitri crisply, once the priest was out of earshot. â€Å"You don't have to come.† â€Å"Rose, please don't make a big deal about this.† â€Å"It is a big deal!† I hissed. â€Å"And you don't seem to get it.† â€Å"I do get it. Do you really think I want to see Victor loose? Do you think I want us all at risk again?† It was the first time in a long time I'd seen his control on the verge of snapping. â€Å"But I told you, I've done all I can do. I'm not like you – I can't keep making a scene when things don't go my way.† â€Å"I do not.† â€Å"You're doing it right now.† He was right. Some part of me knew I'd crossed a line †¦ but just like with everything else recently, I couldn't stop talking. â€Å"Why did you even help me today?† I demanded. â€Å"Why are you here?† â€Å"Is that so strange?† he asked. He almost looked hurt. â€Å"Yes. I mean, are you are you trying to spy on me? Figure out why I messed up? Make sure I don't get into any trouble?† He studied me, brushing hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Why does there have to be some ulterior motive?† I wanted to blurt out a hundred different things. Like, if there wasn't a motive, then that meant he just wanted to spend time with me. And that made no sense, because we both knew we were only supposed to have a teacher-student relationship. He of all people should know that. He was the one who'd told me. â€Å"Because everyone has motives.† â€Å"Yes. But not always the motives you think.† He pushed open the door. â€Å"I'll see you later.† I watched him go, my feelings a tangle of confusion and anger. If the situation hadn't been so strange, I would have almost said it was like we'd just gone on a date.